As a disclaimer: Aeryn Tales is not affiliated with FOX, The WB, Paramount, or any of the agencies that may be mentioned here. I do not make any money off of any of the characters, plots, or other items mentioned.

Heroes

Episode One: Aftermath

If God would send his angels
If God would send a sign
If God would send his angels
Then everything would be alright.
-U2

The battle was not going well, Angel thought silently as he slashed and hacked his way through the throng of demons. It was becoming a dance really; to the left, to the right, swing around to the back. His team was falling fast, and to make matters worse that damn dragon was setting the surrounding buildings on fire. Someone was going to notice and soon.

He looked around him, and saw Illyria smashing through the horde with her bare fists, and when necessary an axe she must have confiscated at some point from one of them. She was smiling at the damage, and probably taking immense satisfaction the violence she was feeling. Who'd have thought it, Angel though, the god found her heart. His heart sank suddenly as he caught sight of Gunn. He was faltering, barely holding his ground. It would not be long.

Spike on the other hand was doing well. He had been pent up so long, that this opportunity had unleashed a whirlwind in him, and was smashing everything and every demon he could reach.

Angel brought his attention back to the battle. "When did we enter Middle Earth?" he thought, when the sword ran through him.

Spike saw it first. Angel was fighting hard, when an ugly short thing that looked like a troll ran him through. "Angel!" he shouted, but over the din and the rain no one could hear him. Illyria then caught sight and started plowing her way through to the scene...but it was all in vain, for in the next moment another raised their axe...As Angel stabbed the offending troll with his sword, it brought it down through his neck. Angel smiled as he turned to dust. "I'm coming home Cordy...I'm coming home." And all went silent.


Wesley awoke in the middle of a meadow. The air was clean and the flowers were in bloom. He sat up slowly in the grass, and tried to clear his head. "I was dead...now I am in the English countryside," he said. He stood and looked around. Nothing but grass, sky, and flowers for all he could see.

"Ah so your awake, mate!" came from behind him.

Wesley spun around to find a peculiarly dressed man, with short brown hair and an Irish accent. "Where did you come from?" Wesley asked, now very confused.

"Am I..."

"Dead? Deceased? Passed on? On another plane? Worm food? Yeah mate. Welcome to the afterlife."

Wesley blinked. "Well if you're sure then," he muttered and looked around. There was a river down the way to the east. He looked at the other man and started walking toward it. "So who are you then?" he asked as the other man caught up.

"Doyle," and seeing the shock on Wesley's face, "so you've heard me name before?"

"Yes. You died four years ago, and received visions from the Powers that Be."

"That would be me, yes." Doyle smiled. "So I take it you know Angel then."

Wesley nodded, but kept his face looking straight ahead.

"So what's your name then?"

"Wesley Wyndam-Price."

"Well pleased to meet you mate. Um...so where are you going?"

"The river."

"I see that, but..why? There is nothing down there but water and fish. And it's not really a river you know."

Wesley stopped and looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Well think about it. This is the afterlife. There are no rivers, grass, flowers, ...hell even air!" He gestured toward the sky. "This is all for us. To get us used to being here. To being dead."

Wesley folded his arms across his chest. "And you know this how?"

"Well apart I have been here for a long time now. I also happen to be your guide here in the afterlife. That and I have a manual."

Wesley's eyes opened wider. "There's a manual?!"

Doyle grinned. "Nah! Just pulling your leg...well figuratively speaking. See even our bodies aren't really here. We are just energy here. Formless. Once you get used to it, it's quite nice. Actually, I would have left you to it for awhile...but you see Angel has stirred quite the hornet's nest up here and in several other dimensions." Doyle shook his head. "Go figure, huh. Anyways, I have been sent to fetch your celestial self here to give the Voice a report of what exactly you all thought you were doing."

Wesley looked a bit taken aback. "We were trying to make a difference. To show the Senior Partners that we still could."

Doyle patted his arm. "Hey mate speaking to the choir here. Actually that's a different plane...anyways, I agree with you. However, I am not the one you have to explain it too."

And then everything shifted and blurred.